Casing-cutter.



- E. E. GREVE.

GASING GUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAB.14,1914.

@mama Z SHEETS-MEET 1.

Patented July 2.

y l-NVENTOR VUITN ESS E. E. GREVE,

CASING CUTTER.

APPLIGATION HLED MAR.14,1914.

LQLQQQD Patented. July 2L 19M.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

entre are' Encan E GREVE, or rrrrsnunen, rENNsYLvANrhfAssIGNoE To ein wErLhsnrrLY COMPANY, or rrr'rsnunen, PENNSYLVANIA, .a oonrona'ron oErENNsfrLvaNra.

4 casina-CUTTER:

incense.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2li, 119ML.

appueaaon mea March 14,1914. .serial No. scappa.

To all whom, it may concern.'

Be it known that l, EDGAR E. GREVE, a citizen of the `United States, and resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and Sta-te of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and luseful Improvements in Casing-Cutters, of which the following is a speciiication. Implements for cutting casing in deep wells so that theportion above the out may be removed are usually of complex eonstruction, and in many instances their operation is slow, laborious, uncertain and costly, all this in addition tothe considerable initial cost of a special tool ot .this class. i l f The primary objects oit the present invenl tion. are to simplify the tool and render more certain its action; also to providea tool that may be attached to a string ot drilling tools and be. operated by jarring blows imparted by the latter as distinf guished from the heretofore necessary roe tary motion applied at the upper end of 'the well for actuating the casing cutter. 'll'he invention also includes improved means for supporting the cutter at any point in the well vwhere the'casing is to be cut, the supporting means being made' operative by up and down movements ot the tool accomplished by corresponding reciprocations of the supporting; string of tubing or tools, all as hereinafter described.

Generally stated, the invention in its pref erred adaptation is embodied in a. tool body which is adapted to be supported frictional engagement with the casing at any point where the casing is to be cut and provided with a rotatable ycarrier which supports laterally movable cutting devices, the latter being projected and the carrier rotated by the action of a spiral mandrel to which movement is imparted by jarring strokes of the drilling tools to which the casing cutter is connected.l ln the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a vertical section oft the improved casing cutter, the plane ot section of the lower portion thereof being indicated by line l-l ot Fig. 5. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on a larger scale of the'lower portion of the tool with theparts in the positions they assumev when bemg lowered ina Ystring of casing,'

the plane ot section 'of theflower portion of the view teilig indicated by une 2 2 of Fig. 5. Figs, Lland' are sectional plan views taken on lines 3.-3, 4 4, and 5 5, respectively of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 isa sectional plan ,taken online G-Gof Fig. 1. Fig. 7 isa. verticalvsection of one' of the slip op- @rating tripdevices showingit in set posis tion before being passed intol the well casing. Fig. B isa vertical section of the lower portion ol" the tool :supporting body and one ofthe slip operating trips, the latter being shown in tlieposition it takes when loweringthe tool in the casing, and'lig. 9' is a similarvie'w showing the position -ot the trip after the toolhhas been lowered to the point. where the casing is'tobe cut, the tool having beenl raisedl slightly to accomplish the slip-releasing operation of the trip devices. l0 is a sectional plan taken on line l0-10 of llfig. 8. Fig. 1l is a vertical section ot the trip mechanism taken on line llll olfig, l0?. Fig. l2 is a detail ot one of theciitter slides. i v

Referring to the drawings, thetool body is'v of 'elongatedtubular form and consists of the upper section or portionQ, the intermediate rotatable carrier 'section 3,' and the anchoring or supporting section el, ball bearing racesv 'fand 6, respectively, being interposed between sectionsV Q'and 3,' andl 3 and t, L 'i' Carrier section 3 is formed in two parts, one above thehother and connected by the screw joint 7, and for connecting the' carrier section tothe npper body section 2, the lower -extremity of the latter is reduced and threaded at8 to receive sleeve 9,'and the upper end` 'of this sleeveu 'engages internal shoulder 140 of the upper portion oi2 carrier section 3A and holds it against the upper ball race. i i

V'lhe'lowerinost or anchoring body section t is connected to the carrier section 3 by tube il whichisfthreadedl at its upper end at 11 to, the bore ot' carrier 3, the'tube extending through body section t vandrotatabletherein and 'at its lower endA carrying stop 12 which holds section 4C from longition of each slide is slotted horizontally at 15 and journaled therein on a vertical pin 16 is the disk cutter 17, the latter secured in position on the slide by cap plates 18.

The inner ends 19 of slides 14 are tapered so as to fit or nest together as shown in Fig. 4 and form a vertical angular passage, with each slide having a face exposed in and constituting a wall of the passage. With the tool positioned or anchored within casing C, as hereinafter described, carrier 3 is rotated and simultaneously therewith slides 14 are projected radially and cutters 17 are caused to score and cut the casing, ordinarily a complete rotation of the carrier and cor responding traverse of the cutters being suficient to sever the casing. These simultaneous movements of the carrier and cuttercarrying slides are accomplished by means of a downwardly tapering spirally twisted mandrel 20 which moves vertically in the passage formed by the inner ends 19 of slides 14. The blank or bar of which mandrel 20 is formed is of angular section, preferably square as shown in Fig. 4, to present a flat face to each ofthe four cutter-carrying slides. With the parts constructed and cooperating as shown, it will be seen that the downward movement of spiral mandrel 20 (the latter being held from rotating as will presently be described) operates to rotate carrier 3 through the medium of slides 14, and the taper of the mandrel serves to project the slides gradually but definitely and positively at a rate sufficient to hold `them in cutting engagement with the casing until the latter is severed, but without, however, projecting them so rapidly as to cause them to stick or bind in the score or cut formed in the casing.

While the construction shown is a desirable adaptation, it will be understood that the invention is not restricted to a tool having four cutter carriers, nor to a twisted mandrel which in the blank is square in cross section.

Mandrel 20 depends from a head 2 which loosely lits the bore of body 2, this head being carried by a stem 22 angular in cross section which is adapted to move vertically through the angular bore in bushing 23 secured in the upper end of body portion 2, the bushing forming an abutment for head 21 so that when stem 22 is fully raised as in Fig. 1 the entire tool is supported for lowering into a well or for withdrawal therefrom. The upper extremity of stem 22 is enlarged into the usual well tool coupling formation, embodying wrench hold 24 and the usual coupling pin 25, whereby the tool may be connected as may be most convenient toa string of drilling tools which i' includes jars of any description, or it may be connected to jars alone, it being only necessary that the supporting and operating tools, not shown, be capable of imparting the downward stroke or blow to stemA 22 necessary to accomplish the above described operation of the cutters and cutter carrier. The angular formation of stem 22 and busliing 23 prevent rotation of mandrel 2O while actuating the cutters, the downward limit of the cutter actuating stroke being defined byl the internal abutment 26 which is engaged by head 21.

The mechanisms for anchoring the tool in Vcutting position and for holding body section 2 from rotating will now be described. The exterior of lower body section 4 is flattened to form the diametrically opposite upwardly diverging slipways 30, each terminating at its lower end in the shoulder or abutment 31 and movable vertically on each of these ways is an upwardly tapering slip 32 held in sliding engagement with the slipway by the dove-tail rib 33. Bearing upwardly on the lower end of each slip are the coiled springs 34 seated in sockets in abutment 31 and operating when the slip is released to raise it into casing-impingng position, as shown in Fig. 9. Each of the slips is held depressed or contracted against t e pressure of the springs, as in Fig. 8, by a link 35 which extends downwardly into a laterally open slot or cavity 36 in abutment 31 with the lower end of the link pivoted to the rear side of the floating jaw 37, the front edge or face 38 of this jaw being serrated and projecting from slot 36 to impinge-the casing, as will presently be described. Jaw 37 is preferably Aformed of two like plates 39, Fig. 10, which are spaced apart but securely united by a block 40. The lower edge 40 of this block is serrated and is adapted to be engaged by the pivoted prop 41 for v holding the jaw in set position, as in Fig. 7, movement of the jaw, as presently described, operating to release the prop and permit it to drop back under the pull of spring 41. The top face of jaw 38 is recessed at 42 to afford the jaw a floating movement around pin 43 bridging slot36.

In the set position of thev jaw shown in Fig. 7, its position prior to entering the tool in the casing, the rear portion of depression 42 is in engagement with pin 43, the rear side of the jaw is depressed and with it link 35 and slip 32, and prop 41 is in engagement with'block 40. This position of the parts is maintained by the stout leaf spring 44 in the rear of slot 36, fromvwhich position jaw 37 cannot turn inresponse to the upward pressure of springs 34. But as soon as the tool is entered in casing C, the downward or lowering movement thereof causes the curved projecting jaw edge 38 to impinge against the casing, and the turning or rocking movement resulting from this impingement moves the jaw on pin 43 to the position shown in Fig. 8, thereby releasing prop 41,

i, todos@ and this engagement of the jaw with the cas ing maintains the parts in the position shown in Fig. 8 throughout the lowering movement of the tool and so holds slip 32 depressed.

When, however, the tool has been lowered to the point atwhich it is desired to cut the casing, it is given a slight upward movement, sucient to reverse the impinging rocking motion of jaw 37, and with prop 4l out of the way this upward movement causes the impinging face 38 of the jaw to move downwardly and the jaw as a whole to move backwardly and upwardly around pin 43 until the'latter engages the iront of depression d2, as shown in F ig. 9, and the resulting ,4 upward movement of the rear portion of the V jaw'permits link 37 to move suiliciently to permit slip 32 to rise under the induence oi' i y springs 34C and securely impinge against` the casing, as in Fig, 9. 'lhe slight upward movement of the tool is 'now discontinued and it is permitted to settle between the wedging slips 32, the latter securely holding the lower body portion d and thus forming an lunyielding support or anchorage for the too rlhe tool having been anchored, the cutting operation ma proceed as1 above described by so manipu ating the string of tools as to cause the jars embodied therein to impart a downward blow to stem 2t, and the resulting depression ot mandrel 20 causes the latter to i at once rotatecarrier portion 3 of the body and project the cutters. Any tendency ci' the 'mandrel and olf stein 22 to rotate due to the resistance of the cutters is prevented by the segmental slips d5 movable horizontally in ways lo on the exterior of body portion 2, so that if body 2 ystarts to rotate these slips grip or clutch the casing, as in Fig. 3, and loclr the tooll body against such movement. And as stem 22 and the boreofbushing 23 are'angular in cross section, the stem is pre- `gented from turning independently or the ody.

The pitchand taper/ot the spiral mandrel are preferably such as to cause the cutting elements to revolve and expand in a delinite manner. 'lhe cutting elements obviously make a complete rotation with each complete pitch convolution, and the degree of taper is such that ordinarily the traverse of a complete convolution oi the spiral through or between the cutting elements is sudcient to so project the latter as to completely sever the casing. x And ordinarily this may be accomplished by a single blow of the jars, although it will be understood that if necessary the entire length of the mandrel may be lutilized in order to obtain rotation and projection of the cutters sucient to sever the casing; likewise any necessary number of'A f moving them radially andatfthe same time rotate the carrier.

blows may be imparted to the toolq l claim:

the carrier, a downwardlyA tapered spirally twisted mandrel movable vertically between the cutters and operating to rotate and laterally move the same, and mandrel operating means.

2. ln a casing cutter, the combination of a rotatable carrier, cutters, cutter supports slidable laterally in the carrier, a downwardly tapered spirally twisted mandrel 'movable vertically between and engaging the `inner ends of the cutter supports for moving them laterally and or'rotating the carrier, tand mandrel operating means.

8. lln' a casing cutter, the combination of (casing cutting means rotatable about a vertifcal axis and also movable laterally, and means made operative by vertical blows tor rotating and moving laterally the cutting means.

t. ln a casing cutter, the 'combination ci cutting means rotatable about a vertical axis, a support for the rotatable cutting means, and a device movable vertically relatively to the cutting means and operatively engaging the latter for rotating the same. I

5. ln a casing cutter, the combination of cutting means rotatable about a vertical axis, a support for the rotatable cutting means, and a vertically movable non-rotatable spiral device operatively engaging the cutting meanswith its spiral formation operating to rotate the latter,

6. ln a casing cutter, the combination of a carrier rotatable about a vertical axis, a sup port tor the carrier, cutters'rotatable with andmovable laterally relatively tothe carrier, and a tapered vertically movable spiral device coperating with the cutters to move them laterally and to rotate the carrier.

7. ln a casing cutter, the combinationof a tubularr carrier rotatable about a vertical axis, a support for the carrier, cutters, cutter-carrying slides rotatable with and movable laterally of the carrier, and a tapered vertically movable non-rotatable spiral mandrel adapted to move vertically between andy engage the cutter-carrying slides and move lll@ them laterally and at the same time rotate the carrier. y

8. lln a casing cutter, the combinatlon of lll 5 a vertically hollow carrier rotatable about a ve tical axis and formed with radially dis- I p sed slideways, ra support for the carrier,- cutters, cutter-carrying slides movablein .the slideways, the inner ends of the slides shaped to t together and form amandrel passage with each .slide having a' face exposed in said passage, and a downwardly tapered non-rotatable spiral mandrel movable vertically in said slide-formed passage with the laces of the mandrel engaging the slides for 9. ln a casing cutter, the-combination' of iso , a verticallyhollow body, means for supporting the body within a well casing and for holding it from rotating therein, a hollow carrier mounted on the body. and'rotatable about a vertical axis, cutting devices rotatable with and movable llaterally relatively tothe carrier, and means movable vertically in the body and carrier and operating to ro-" Y- f tate the carrier and to move the cuttery devices laterally,

a vertically hollow body, means for supporting. they body within a well casing vand for y holding it lfrom rotating therein', a vertically '--rotatab'le about a vertical axis, the' carrierl formed with slideways, cutters, cutter-,carryhollow. carriersupported by the body and ving'slides movable inthe slideways,a vertithe hollow body, and a downwardly tapering mandrel of\spiral formi depending from the lstem and, operatively engaging the slides for moving them laterally an the"carrier.-

11, In a casing cutter, the combination of a carrier formed with a vertical passage and 'rotatable about avertical axis, a support for the carrier, cutters, cutter-pro] ecting devices `supported by and movable-radially of the carrier with the inner ends of said devices shaped to combine-in forming a passageway with each device having a face exposed inthe passageway, and `a mandrel movable vertically insaid passageway and consisting of alongitudinally tapered bar angular in cross section and twisted spirally with the spiral faces adapted to engage the cutter- -sustaining 'devices and move them radially i' and at the same time rotate the carrier.

' them laterally'andlalso to rotate thecarrier t5 .vertically l.in `theuppermostbody section and as-the stem moves vertically'.

13. In a casing cutter, the combination Aof an elongated tubular body consisting of a lowerxoranchorin'g section, an intermediate rotatable carrier section and an upper non-rotatable section, means for anchoring .the lowermost section-Within well casing, cutter'devices movable laterally' and rotatable with the carrier, means for holding the uppermost body section from rotating in the casing, and a l.non-rotating Adev ice movable 10. ,In acasmg cutter, the/combination ofv cally movable non-rotating stem tting in for rotating f cooperating withthecutter devices to' move them, laterally and to rotate the carrier.

14. ln a casing cutter, the combination of an elongated tubular body consistin of an upper section, an intermediate rotata le carrier section constituting a downward. con- ,Itinuation of the upper section, an anchoring s'ection forming a downward contihuation of the carrier section and connected to the 'latter with the carrier section rotatable relatively thereto and to the upper section, means for securing the anchoring section :within a well casing, laterally movable cut- Qter deyices rotatable with the carrier section, means for holdin the upper body secjtion from rotating in t e casing,and a non- ;'rotatable mandrel movable vertically in the tubular body and cooperating with the clitter devices to move them laterally and to rotate the carrier'section of the body.

l5. ln a casing cutter, the combination of Ea tubular body having an 'abutmentadj acent to its upper end, a lcarrier movable vertically with the body and rotatable about a vertical c axis,l means for supporting the body within a Well casing, cutters movable laterally relatively to the carrier and rotatable therewith,

a stem movableverticallyin the body and lprovided with a shoulder adapted toengagesaid internal abutment for' supporting the body when the latter isunsecured to the casing, and a device vdepending' from the stem and coperating with the cutter devices to y move them laterally and-to rotate the car- Y rier when the stem moves vertically within the body.

` 16. In a casing cutter, the combination of an elongated tubular-body consisting of a non-rotating upper portion, an intermediate rotatable carrier portion, and a lower 'anchoring or supporting portion, casing-engaging slips movable vertically on said lower body portion, means actuated by the vertical movement of the body for operating the slips, cutter devices rotatable with the carrier and movable relatively thereto, and cuticc ter-actuating and carrier-rotating means c movable vertically in the body.

17. In a casing cutter, the combination of anA elongated tubular body consisting of a. non-rotating upper portion, an intermediate rotatable carrier portion, and a lower anchoring or supporting portion,means for securing the lower portion within a well casing, casing cutting means rotatable with and movable relatively to the carrier-forming portion, slips movable on the upper body portion and adapted 'to engage the casing and hold said portion from rotating, and cutter-actuating and carrier-rotating means movable vertically in the body.

`18.' The combination with a well'tool, ofV

an anchoring device carried by the tool andadapted dto provide a support therefor, the anchoring device havingy yertical slipwys,

l it

slips movable on said. ways and adapted when released to engage the casing, devices carried by the anchoring device and adapted when set to hold the slips retracted, said devices adapted to frictionally engage the casing and operated by said frictional engagement to release the slips.

19. The combination with a vertically movable well tool, of an anchor carried by the tool and adapted to provide -a support therefor within a well casing, the anchor provided with vertical slipways, wedging slips movable on said ways, springs for projecting the slips into Wedging position, trip devices operating to hold the slips out of wedging position, the trip devices adapted to frictionally engage the well casing, devices for holdin the trip devices in set position with the sig/ips retracted, the frictional engagement of the trip'devices with the casing during the downward movement of the tool operating to release the trip-holding devices romfset position, and the frictional engagement of the trip devices with the easing when the tool is moved upwardly operating to so move the released trip devices as to release the slips to the action of the slip-actuating springs.

20. The combination with a vertically movable well tool, of an anchoring device 'movable vertically with the tool and adapted `device during the lowering of the tool as to hold the slip retracted, the oating movement of the trip device when the tool is elevated operating to release the slip for wedging engagement with the casing.

In testimony whereof, I ailiX my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

EDGAR E. GREVE.

Witnesses: J. M. NESBIT,

GAITHER. 

